Government to train 25 lakh disabled in seven years: Modi

Mon, Apr 11, 2016, 06:00 PM

New Delhi, April 11: The government will train 25 lakh disabled people in the next seven years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

"India believes in the principles of inclusion and integration. It stems from the Indian philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' - that the whole world is our family - a philosophy that transcends all life forms, including our environment.

"Disabled people constitute a significant portion of the population of India and their need for meaningful employment largely remains unmet. The government of India has targeted training 25 lakh people with disabilities in the next seven years," Modi said in a message read out at the 9th World Assembly of Disabled People's International (DPI) here on Monday.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot said the government was committed to the cause of disability and it was reflected by Modi's personal interest on the issue, said a press statement.

Over 200 people with disabilities from over 70 countries from Asia, Africa, North and South America and the Caribbean are attending the 9th World Assembly of DPI, a disabled people's human rights organisation with membership in 150 countries.

Luis Gallegos, former permanent representative of Ecuador to the UN in both New York and Geneva, said: "People are hindered to live a full life because of society. Surely, as we age, all of us will be disabled. This is about all of us, and not about the disabled."

Javed Abidi, global chair of DPI and director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), said: "DPI is also the only organisation with such an expansive reach. DPI's 9th World Assembly will leverage this huge human capital that DPI commands to steer the global disability movement towards a stronger grassroots based movement.

"DPI's 9th World Assembly is therefore built around the crucial questions of access, knowledge transfer, monitoring and self-determination and representation in the 2030 Agenda process as well as in other human rights processes."